AMPTHILL & DISTRICT 20 MANSFIELD 12
Two vital league points surrendered on a day when the dark, grey, dismal weather was matched by the performance of a Mansfield side that failed to sparkle. The fact that this was the first time Mansfield had not registered a try this season was the most telling statistic as possession and territory failed to be rounded off with the final incisive pass or break.
In still conditions Mansfield made first use of the Ampthill “hill” and soon had the home pack on retreat at the set scrums. The first line out saw Pritchard taking the ball well and driven forward by Kirk, Newbold and Newton. Robinsons long-range penalty attempt fell just short and Mansfield’s cover was well up to the attempted break out with Jones and Rushby rocking back their opposite numbers.
Twice Brown darted through half gaps and Robinson, Storey, Jones and a lively Kirk looked for the line but found the Ampthill pitch a yard too narrow. Newton picked up at eight and linked with Buchanan and Davies before the scrum half was temporarily off with a blood injury. Draycott moved into position and his quick darts away from the base caused problems for the home defence.
Despite these half breaks a strangely lethargic looking Mansfield side could not carry the moves on to the try line and after twenty one minutes it took the boot of Robinson to open their account. Stringfellow secured the restart ball and Davies orchestrated the rolling maul back into the opposition 22 for Robinson to double the lead.
The next kick off was returned with interest by Brown and after a high tackle Mansfield decided to kick for goal from wide out when many would have opted for forcing a 5-metre line out. That penalty slid wide but after Newton took a line out variation infield Robinson did have a simpler task and sent the Blue and Whites in at half time 9-0 to the good.
From the kick off and early line out Williams stole and Mansfield again made their way to the home 22. But despite probing chips and grubbers from Davies and Brown they were failing to create the clinical sharp incision that would bring the try to reward their dominance and make the game safe. As time ran on Ampthill gained in the confident knowledge that their opponents were not getting away from them and despite the cover tackling of Taylor, Buchanan and the centre of the Mansfield defence chances were appearing. Twice simple kicks were squandered before the game turned on a refereeing mistake.
Roberts, on for Buchanan, was sin binned for an offence he didn’t commit. The mistaken identity saw him on and off the field with the speed of a cricketer after a golden duck but the man advantage for the next ten minutes was well exploited by Ampthill.
A successful penalty and then indecision at the heart of the Mansfield defence under a high ball led to a try wide on the right. Suddenly a single point separated the sides and it took a Jones turnover and run, breaks from Draycott and the harrying of Newbold and Taylor to peg back the home three quarters. The pressure paid and with five minutes on the clock Robinson’s fourth penalty put Mansfield 12-8 ahead.
However, in keeping with the error and turnover strewn afternoon Mansfield failed to shut the game down. A line out lost on the 22 and a try in the corner put the Bedfordshire side in font for the first time in the last minute. To add insult to injury as Mansfield tried to build a stoppage time reply a pick up from a scrum already through ninety degrees was played on, Mansfield blindside defence was non existent and a further converted score secured the home win.
Coach John Tasker was unable to explain the flatness for the display, “A game of wrong options and sometimes just not taking decisions at all” was his summary as Mansfield slipped a place in the table and importantly a defeat more than the three leaders. “The sides that gain promotion will be the sides is who secured games like these.”
Mansfield now must put thoughts of the league out of their minds as they take on one of the Midlands form sides, Huntingdon, in Saturday’s Powergen Intermediate Cup tie at Eakring Road, 2pm kick off. The “other Stags” are old and fierce rivals and since narrowly losing a preseason warm up fixture at Mansfield have posted an impressive eight game unbeaten run. In the cup they have scored 73 points and conceded just 15 in two victories and six wins from six played in the league with a positive points difference of 229 shows evidence of a high scoring outfit. Their 8-3 win at Old Northamptonians last weekend was their tightest game to date but they are relishing a tilt at Mansfield and revenge for the last three games between the side
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